A MOTHER-TO-BE made the impossible decision not to have chemotherapy to protect the life of her unborn baby.
Azzurra Carnelos was 33 years old and pregnant when she discovered that the breast cancer she thought she had beaten had returned.
two
two
The senior financial analyst decided to go against her doctor’s advice and start chemotherapy so she could carry the baby to term.
“The son she wanted so much”, according to his mother, named Antonio, was born in August 2023, but unfortunately Azzurra died eight months later.
The young Italian discovered she had breast cancer in 2019, after dreaming that her grandmother Nori – who had died from the disease years before – told her to have a test.
After the diagnosis, she began treatment, which put the cancer into remission.
In February 2022, Azzurra and her partner, Francesco Favero, got married and began making plans to start a family.
In the same month, the couple discovered that they were pregnant.
Five months into her pregnancy, the mother received the sad news that the cancer had returned.
Azzurra resumed treatment last summer, but it was too late.
She passed away at her home in Oderzo, Italy, on April 13.
She was “strong, sweet and kind until the end,” her family told local media.
“She was a great mother and wife,” they added.
Cancer during pregnancy is rare – statistics suggest that around one in every 1,000 cases of breast cancer appears during pregnancy.
Data published in the British Medical Journal last year showed that the average risk of dying from breast cancer in the five years after diagnosis has fallen from 14% to 5% since the 1990s.
Chemo during pregnancy
Sometimes, cancer patients are required to start chemotherapy quickly to control the disease.
In this situation, the doctor may think it is best to terminate the pregnancy.
In early pregnancy, this could mean termination, while in later stages it could mean premature birth.
Research shows that giving certain chemotherapy drugs after 14 weeks will not harm the baby.
During pregnancy, the placenta is like a barrier between mother and baby, according to Cancer Research.
Some medications can pass through the placenta and others cannot.
The most up-to-date studies show that, after 14 weeks, children exposed to chemotherapy have no more problems than those who are not exposed.
Your baby will have longer follow-ups to monitor their progress and check for any other possible risks.
What are the signs of breast cancer?
BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK.
Most women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer.
If treated early, breast cancer can be stopped from spreading to other parts of the body.
Breast cancer can present with a variety of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.
Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but it is always best to have them checked out by your doctor. You should also speak to your doctor if you notice any of the following:
- a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
- discharge from either of your nipples (which may be stained with blood)
- a lump or swelling in either armpit
- dimples in the skin of your breasts
- a rash on or around your nipple
- a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into the breast
Source: SNS
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
